Sexy Foods

When it comes to setting the mood, these sexy and romantic dishes are a great start. Decadent recipes and aphrodisiacs such as grilled oysters to a luxe pasta with truffles and creamy Robiola are sure to impress and are perfect for Valentine’s Day or whenever the night calls for something a little more sexy.

When it comes to setting the mood, these sexy and romantic dishes are a great start. Decadent recipes and aphrodisiacs such as grilled oysters to a luxe pasta with truffles and creamy Robiola are sure to impress and are perfect for Valentine’s Day or whenever the night calls for something a little more sexy.

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Food & Wine

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Fudgy Chocolate Layer Cake

Lots of buttermilk and coffee get mixed into this batter to create an incredibly moist, rich and fudgy dessert.

Sacher Torte

Sacher torte is a classic Austrian chocolate cake layered with apricot preserves. This version uses the preserves three ways: for moistening the cake layers, as a thick filling between the layers and as a glaze to seal the cake before covering it in chocolate. The cake is moist and luscious on its own, but it's also delicious served the traditional way, with unsweetened whipped cream.

Raw Oysters with Cava Mignonette

Spiced Chocolate Fondue

Fragrant with cinnamon, clove, cardamom and ginger, this fondue holds up remarkably well at room temperature, which makes it good for parties—especially when it's served with gingerbread, apples or shortbread for dunking.

Tarte Tatin

Molten Chocolate Cakes

Molten chocolate cakes became famous for a reason: they're cakey on the outside with an irresistible center of warm dark chocolate flowing through the middle. The first time you try one, it may seem like magic, but this recipe is actually quite easy to make and ready in under an hour.

Foie Gras-Steamed Clams

At his restaurant, Jonathon Sawyer uses a little bit of foie gras to create a luscious sauce for clams. “It’s such a simple recipe,” he says.“I just put the clams, foie gras and vinegar in a pot and just let them get to know each other for a while.”

Chocolate Soufflés with Crème Anglaise

“I love the simple elegance of chocolate soufflés,” Grace Parisi says. She uses top-quality chocolate from brands like Valrhona or Callebaut, which lends a deep, almost smoky flavor to the airy dessert. Tahitian vanilla beans—some of the world’s best—add a floral sweetness to the crème anglaise.

Pancetta-Wrapped Asparagus with Citronette

In Mario Batali’s riff on the traditional antipasto of prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, he wraps spears in pancetta (which, unlike prosciutto, becomes nicely crispy when cooked) and grills them. Adding a bit of tanginess is the citronette, a marvelously bright-tasting mustardy-orange dressing.

Scallops with Warm Tomato-Basil Dressing

Oysters Rocafella

“We created this dish as an homage to Jay-Z. He inspires us,” says Mario Carbone about the rapper and cofounder of the Roc-A-Fella record label. “The original dish was named for John D. Rockefeller. He was money back then, and to us, Jay-Z is money in New York City now.” Carbone tops the oysters with a tangy vinegar-shallot mignonette, plus a Champagne-infused foam and frozen Champagne grapes.

Goat Cheese-Stuffed Roasted Figs

Poached Eggs with Parmesan and Smoked Salmon Toasts

Dipping a crispy toast finger (the French call it a mouillette) in a soft egg yolk has to be one of life’s great pleasures. “When I was a kid, I loved it,” says Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Evidently, he’s still fond of it because he has created an adult version that’s elegant enough to serve as a first course at a dinner party: He wraps smoked salmon around half of the toasts and sprinkles the rest with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, so it melts and forms a salty crust when baked.

Chocolate Lava Cakes with Strawberries

Chris Yeo doesn't take credit for inventing this dessert—these individual cakes with molten centers appear on almost every restaurant menu in America. But his version is especially rich and chocolaty and made even better by the scoop of strawberry ice cream on top.

Chocolate-Raspberry Truffletini

"This is like a really fine chocolate truffle that melts in your mouth," says bartender Marvin Allen. He makes this variation on a chocolate martini with nocino, a walnut liqueur produced in Modena, Italy.

Chocolate Soufflé Cakes with Vanilla-Thyme Ice Cream

These soft, chocolaty sponge cakes are a cross between angel food cake and a firm souffle. Adolfo Munoz bakes his souffle cakes in individual cake rings with parchment-paper collars. We simplified the recipe by using ramekins and had good results.